(a) Field
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to an LCD and a manufacturing method thereof which prevent a gap defect and a torn pattern of a light blocking area in an outermost cell of a display area adjacent to a non-display area while preventing light leakage of an outermost pixel by improving a light blocking member.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) which is one of the most common types of flat panel displays currently in use, includes two display panels with electrodes and a liquid crystal layer inserted therebetween. The LCD is a display device which rearranges liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer by applying a voltage to the electrodes to control an amount of transmitted light.
In the LCD, a structure in which field generating electrodes are provided on two display panels is mainly used currently. Among them, a structure in which a plurality of thin film transistors (“TFTs”) and pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix on one display panel (hereinafter, also referred to as ‘TFT display panel’) and color filters such as red, green, and blue color filters are formed on the other display panel (hereinafter, also referred to as ‘common electrode display panel’) and a common electrode covers a full surface thereof is now currently used.
However, in the LCD, since the pixel electrode and the color filter are disposed on different display panels, it is difficult to accurately align the pixel electrode and the color filter, such that an alignment error may be generated. In order to solve the problem, a color filter on array (“COA”) structure in which the color filter and the pixel electrode are formed on the same display panel is proposed.
Further, when the TFT array panel and the common electrode panel are assembled with each other, considering an assembling margin, a light blocking member such as a black matrix needs to be manufactured to be larger than a predetermined size.
However, in this case, since an aperture ratio may be decreased by the increased size of the black matrix, the black matrix may be formed on the TFT array panel.
A gap of liquid crystal layers between the two display panels is called a cell gap, and the cell gap has an influence on overall operational characteristics of the LCD such as a responses speed, a contrast ratio, a viewing angle, and luminance uniformity. When the cell gap is not uniform, a uniform image is not displayed over the entire screen to cause an image quality defect. Accordingly, in order to maintain the uniform cell gap all over the entire area on the substrate, a plurality of spacers is formed at one side of two substrates.
The plurality of spacers may include a main column spacer supporting two substrates and a sub column spacer assisting a hole of the main column spacer.
In order to simplify a process, the light blocking member such as a black matrix and the spacers may be simultaneously formed. When the light blocking member, the main column spacer, the sub column spacer, and the like are simultaneously formed, it is required to implement a multi-step.